to report «iusnews»; Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei urged Muslim countries to halt oil and food exports to Israel, demanding an end to its relentless bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip.
Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with students from across the country on Wednesday, as more than 8,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed in the Israeli bombardment of the besieged strip and the coastal enclave is facing a critical humanitarian crisis, with shortages of water, electricity, food, fuel and medicine.
Ayatollah Khamenei praised the Palestinians for their resistance and steadfastness in the face of Israeli atrocities in the besieged territory, stating that their resilience has aroused the human conscience.
“Muslim states must insist on the immediate cessation of [Israeli] crimes in Gaza. The bombings on Gaza must end immediately. The path of oil and foodstuff exports to the Zionist regime should be stopped,” The Leader stressed.
He added that Muslim countries should not interact economically with the Zionist regime, asking Muslims across the world to denounce the Israeli regime’s catastrophes and crimes vociferously and without hesitation in all international forums.
"The Zionist regime must be condemned, and the entire Muslim world must be mobilized against it,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
"The Zionist regime is now in a state of shock and despeAyatollah Khamenei further stated that the Israeli regime will become paralyzed within days if the US does not support Zionists.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the United States was complicit in Israel's "crimes against Palestinians" in the Gaza Strip.
"The Islamic world should not forget that in the crucial issue of Gaza, those standing against the oppressed Palestinian nation were the United States, France and Britain," he added.
“Look what is happening across the world; in Britain, France, Italy and several US states, large crowds of people poured to the streets and chant slogans against Israel and the US itself,” he continued, referring to massive rallies worldwide in support of Gaza.
Hours after the Hamas military operation against Israel in early October, American and European officials promised rock-solid and unwavering support to Tel Aviv. In recent weeks, President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and several others European leaders also visited Tel Aviv to show their support for Israel.
Tehran says the Western leaders' trips to the occupied territories are aimed at giving artificial respiration to dying Israel and demonstrate the US' and Europe's concerns over the downfall of the Zionist regime.
The US has pledged unwavering support for Israel as its military pummels Gaza with bombardment. Washington has announced it will provide Tel Aviv with everything it needed.
Washington has made major shows of force in the Middle East since Hamas’ October 7 raid on Israel, deploying two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Mediterranean, as well as an amphibious assault ship carrying 2,000 sailors and marines. US officials have claimed the moves were meant to deter outside actors from taking part in the Gaza war.
Iranian officials say the United States is waging a war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip through Israel, and cautions that the current status in West Asia resembled a powder keg which could spiral out of control.
Tehran warns that any Israeli “miscalculation” in proceeding with the policy of genocide and forced displacement of Palestinian people in Gaza will have “bitter consequences” for West Asia and the interests of warmongers.
On October 7, Hamas launched a multi-pronged surprise military operation via land, sea and air. The group announced it was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians. The attacks have so far killed more than 1,400 and injured over 5,000, according to Israeli officials. Hamas also announced it is holding between at least 200 and 250 hostages.
Following the multi-front attack by Hamas, Israel carried out heavy bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing nearly 8,800 Palestinians, including at least 3,600 children and over 2,300 women, and wounding over 20,000 others, and levelling entire neighbourhoods.
Tel Aviv has ordered a "complete siege" of Gaza, saying it would halt its supply of electricity, food, water and fuel. Israel’s military has also ordered 1.1 million people living in Northern Gaza to evacuate their homes, amid signs it is set to ramp up its offensive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Tel Aviv will not agree to a ceasefire with the Palestinian movement Hamas because it would mean surrender. He added Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip has entered its third stage which includes expanding ground operations in the enclave.
The bombing, as well as enforced displacement orders by the Israeli Army, has pushed 1.5 million people out of their homes.
The Gaza Health Ministry has confirmed that the healthcare system in the besieged territory has “totally collapsed due to the Israeli war”.
The UN agencies have warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is "catastrophic", calling for more international help as conditions deteriorate in the densely populated besieged enclave.
Iranian officials say the current status in West Asia resembled a powder keg which could spiral out of control. They caution that if diplomatic efforts to stop Israeli relentless bombardment and prevent a ground offensive on Gaza are unsuccessful, there is a risk of the conflict escalating uncontrollably, with multiple regional players joining the fight.
Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on Earth, where some 2 million people live in an area of 140 square miles. It has been almost completely cut off from the rest of the world for nearly 17 years. More than half of its population lives in poverty and is food insecure, with nearly 80% of its population relying on humanitarian assistance.
Tehran says the history of the apartheid regime is full of assassinations, massacre, torture and killing of Palestinian kids, and described Tel Aviv regime's atrocities and massacre of Palestinian women and children as indicative of the destitute of Zionists. Iranian officials say the Tel Aviv regime has been struggling for more than 70 years to exit its identity crisis which has been mixed with genocide, plunder, forced displacement and scores of other inhumane moves.
